PC Help: Clear a fuzzy screen

Restore focus to your monitor

My monitor has recently developed a fault: when I first switch on the computer, the image is bright and sharp but after a while it becomes fuzzy and slightly unfocused.

If the computer is left on, unused, and the screensaver kicks in, the sharpness returns for a time when I start to use it again.
Patrick Ford

You haven’t specified it, but presumably we’re talking about an old-style tube (CRT) monitor. This is a hardware problem but it’s not clear where it lies.

The most likely culprit is the monitor itself but other possibilities are the cable or your computer’s graphics card.

If you can swap the monitor with a friend’s, or with another one in the house, you can see whether the fault is in the monitor.

The same applies to the cable – if you can swap it with another, while leaving the monitor and computer in place, that will show if the cable is at fault. Obviously, this won’t be possible if the cable is fixed to the screen.

Faulty cables are easily dealt with, but even if the fault is with the screen, it’s not necessarily a big problem. You will need to take it to a repair shop that will work with CRT monitors, and there may not be one nearby.

If it’s still covered by the manufacturer or retailer’s warranty, you should contact the shop for them to have a look at it.